Baggage Porters and Bellhops Salary
In Charleston-North Charleston, SC, baggage porters and bellhops earn $24,950 at the median, or about $11.99 an hour. The range runs from $15K at the entry level to $33K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.96), that's roughly $24,713 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,787/month, about 101.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $25K get you in Charleston-North Charleston?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charleston-North Charleston’s Regional Price Parity (100.96). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About baggage porters and bellhops
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Charleston-North Charleston
Pay for baggage porters and bellhops in Charleston-North Charleston runs about 33% below the U.S. median of $37K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,787/month, which is 98.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.96) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for baggage porters and bellhopss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for baggage porters and bellhops in metros near Charleston-North Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal | $25K | $26K |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach | $24K | $25K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $33K | $34K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $33K | $33K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charleston-North Charleston, SC
Entry-level baggage porters and bellhops (10th percentile) start around $15K. Mid-career wages sit at $25K. Top earners bring in $33K or more, a $18K spread from bottom to top.
Baggage Porters and Bellhops pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Baggage Porters and Bellhops salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $49K | +31% | 3,610 |
| Hawaii | $42K | +14% | 1,370 |
| New Jersey | $41K | +11% | 570 |
| Massachusetts | $41K | +11% | 1,300 |
| Washington | $41K | +11% | 270 |
| Oregon | $41K | +10% | 240 |
| Illinois | $40K | +9% | 1,480 |
| California | $40K | +8% | 2,940 |
| Colorado | $39K | +6% | 410 |
| District of Columbia | $38K | +3% | 380 |
| Kentucky | $38K | +2% | 260 |
| Connecticut | $37K | +1% | 130 |
| Nevada | $37K | -1% | 2,170 |
| Maine | $37K | -1% | 60 |
| Arizona | $37K | -1% | 490 |
| Virginia | $37K | -1% | 800 |
| Vermont | $36K | -2% | 90 |
| Maryland | $36K | -2% | 520 |
| Wyoming | $36K | -2% | 60 |
| Rhode Island | $34K | -7% | 40 |
| Pennsylvania | $34K | -8% | 700 |
| Nebraska | $34K | -9% | 70 |
| Idaho | $34K | -10% | 70 |
| North Carolina | $33K | -11% | 650 |
| Alaska | $32K | -13% | 70 |
| Tennessee | $32K | -14% | 570 |
| Wisconsin | $31K | -16% | 310 |
| Arkansas | $31K | -16% | 60 |
| Iowa | $31K | -16% | 30 |
| Texas | $31K | -16% | 1,050 |
| Michigan | $31K | -17% | 410 |
| Florida | $31K | -17% | 4,430 |
| Montana | $31K | -17% | 40 |
| Missouri | $31K | -17% | 260 |
| Utah | $31K | -17% | 240 |
| New Mexico | $30K | -19% | 90 |
| Georgia | $29K | -22% | 370 |
| Ohio | $28K | -24% | 80 |
| Indiana | $28K | -25% | 140 |
| Kansas | $28K | -25% | 30 |
| New Hampshire | $28K | -26% | 50 |
| South Dakota | $27K | -26% | 40 |
| Louisiana | $26K | -29% | 690 |
| Oklahoma | $26K | -29% | 130 |
| South Carolina | $26K | -30% | 330 |
| Alabama | $25K | -32% | 60 |
| West Virginia | $24K | -35% | 50 |
| Mississippi | $23K | -39% | 220 |
Showing 1–10 of 48 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track baggage porters and bellhops salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Charleston-North Charleston numbers change.
Related careers in Personal Care
Frequently asked questions
Can a baggage porters and bellhop afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston-North Charleston?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $25K, rent takes 98.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,787/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for baggage porters and bellhops in Charleston-North Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new baggage porters and bellhops typically earn — is $15K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $905/month. At HUD’s $1,787/month FMR, rent would take 197% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is baggage porters and bellhop a high-paying job in Charleston-North Charleston?
Local pay runs 33% below the national median — $25K here vs. $37K nationally.
How does Charleston-North Charleston compare to the national average for baggage porters and bellhops?
Charleston-North Charleston pays $25K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -33%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $25K — below the national median.
How much do baggage porters and bellhops make in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The median is $24,950 a year, that works out to about $12 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $15,080, and experienced baggage porters and bellhops can clear $33,090. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $25K enough to live in Charleston-North Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,820/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,787/month, which eats 98.2% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a baggage porters and bellhops salary go in Charleston-North Charleston?
Charleston-North Charleston has a Regional Price Parity of 100.96 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median baggage porters and bellhops salary is worth about $24,713 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do baggage porters and bellhops get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.